# Surprised The GM determines who might be surprised before combat starts. If neither side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each other. Otherwise, the GM compares the [[Dexterity]] ([[Stealth]]) checks of anyone hiding with the passive [[Wisdom]] ([[Perception]]) score of each creature on the opposing side. Any character or monster that doesn't notice a threat is surprised at the start of the encounter. If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't.